This book was so fun! I literally could not stop kicking and giggling. I am a sucker for theater and this book did not disappoint.

This unfortunately fell really flat for me. I love the original Dirty Dancing as a comfort movie and this seems to only take the title and the concept of dancing at a summer getaway from that. I appreciate the change to a completely positive queer-filled summer camp / resort, and the cast of diverse characters. But that's about it. All of the characters are established dancers and since the camp is so openly queer, there's no risk in being "found out" doing these dances or even hanging out with this group of people like the film. There's little to no conflict in this besides Archer's own insecurity and this camp being filled with the most dramatic men in the world.

The characters and dialogue are holding this back the most. Archer is very flat, I didn't find myself connecting or caring about him much at all. At first you're rooting for him to follow his dream, but then he doesn't take really any action or even react to anything around him in a compelling way. His two friends who are women are mostly there to support him from afar. The dialogue is VERY generic, which also takes away any personality the characters have. The love interest(s) starts with Caleb, who is the most drama-filled Mean Gay you've ever seen and you just want the relationship to be over. Meanwhile Mateo is also flat, moody, and only has small sparks of personality throughout.

Overall I was disappointed. It's not terrible by any means, but really lacked stakes, characters

This was a cute and sweet, and a really fun book for fans of Dirty Dancing. The characters were lovable and you found yourself cheering for them, even in the messy moments. Overall a very enjoyable read.

very fun and flirty romance with some fun ideas and good vibes. the characters are all interesting and flawed. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Dirty Dancing but make it gayer…ummmm OKAY!!!

Flirty Dancing follows a 27 year old dancer trying to make it in the big city who ends up landing a summer gig at a resort in the Catskills (the nods to dirty dancing were immaculate!)

The pacing felt off to me and I struggled to stay engaged but the characters were great and the vibes were amazing just something I can’t quit put my finger on kept me from flying through it.

Flirty Dancing 🕺🥧
Jennifer Moffatt
3.5⭐️
ARC review (Pub date May 27, 2025)

I had a good time reading this LGBTQ+ retelling of Dirty Dancing. Like the movie it's based on, it made me wish I could dance and attend camp all summer.

The two MMCs are both dancers who are hired as entertainment at a summer resort in the Catskills called Shady Queens. The story takes place over the course of one summer and follows all the drama that ensues between the staff at the resort. This did the same thing for my brain as watching trashy, reality television. The drama was ridiculous, the plot basically non-existent, but I was invested enough to keep reading and enjoying the vibes.

The romance in this is slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, and closed door. I thought the dancing scenes especially did a good job of demonstrating their chemistry with each other.

I like reading books like this when im on vacation because I don't want to cry while I'm on vacation or use a lot of brain power.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was so cute!!! A fun LGBT+ love letter for Dirty Dancing, and it just made me smile! Archer and Mateo are so cute and good together!! And as someone who works in theatre, Caleb made me SO MAD!! I would have fined him so much for the crap he pulled!! And that cover is gorgeous!! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

This book was so fun and had me hooked from the beginning making me finish it in one sitting! The camp setting was so great for a summer read. The little call outs to movies I love too, like Dirty Dancing, brought a smile to my face. The characters were fun but still complex and made them feel real. I really enjoyed that there wasn't an instant love situation and it had that extra layer making the two stay apart for longer. This was 5 stars easily for me and I can't wait to read more from the author.

Thank you to the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

3/5 ⭐️
0.5/5 🌶️ — basically a closed door romance with kissing and a few peeks.

Well, Dirty Dancing is one of my all-time favorite movies. So an LGBTQ+ contemporary twist on this classic? SIGN. ME. UP.

I really enjoyed the author’s way with words. I think her writing was quite eloquent and beautiful. You could really feel the emotions of the characters - good, bad, and in-between. The characters were well developed and well thought out.

For me, it felt like something was missing. Some of the book dragged for me in parts. I didn’t devour it, like I was hoping I would. However, I still encourage you to give this book a chance!

Look, I read this book in about 5 hours and it was SO good. Archer is such a kind character, chasing his dreams of making it big on Broadway. When he lands a part at a LGBTQA+ vacation resort, he takes it. We see through his time at Shady Queens how he is such a supportive, encouraging, and caring character. He doesn't expect that Mateo Dixon, his childhood crush, is going to be his grumpy coworker.

This book is the definition of a delicious slow burn. The relationship between Archer and Mateo develops in a way that feels authentic. We watch Mateo grow and overcome some of his own issues thanks to Archer and their times at Shady Queens. Not to mention the rest of the dance troupe are phenomenal characters in their own right.

I really enjoyed this book. Like I said, I finished it in about 5 hours. Definitely worth the read if you're looking for a slow burn!

It’s never too late to follow your dreams. A 27 year old ex account, goes to New York to try to dance on Broadway. Just when he’s about to pack it up he gets a gig for the summer at a resort at the Catskills. And to his surprise his Broadway idol/crush will be dancing alongside him….

The tension in this book was to die for. These two were made for each other. Be ready to fall in love when Mateo does the littlest things for Archer that actually mean the most. This book was such a cute read and no third act break up! After reading, you might have the urge to book some dance lessons.

A closed door MM romance between two dancers at a "summer camp" that felt very highschool. While it was fun and fast paced, I wish we got to see more of a connection/romance between the two MMCs.

1.5⭐

LIKED:
- The overall setting of a summer resort is really fun, and I do think I got a pretty good mental image of Shady Queens throughout this book.
- Betty is the best character, hands down. There should have been more of her and less of some of the other side characters.
- I like the colors of the cover? I don’t think the overall design works, and with a title and book about dancing, there should have been way more movement in this cover in regards to the character posing (or, like, a reference to Dirty Dancing? I don’t know, it just seemed like an easy win).

LAMENTED:
- This book unfortunately committed the cardinal sin for a book, especially a romance: it’s boring. Nothing really happens for the majority of the book. We barely get to read about any dancing except for some sporadic scenes that are very short. A lot of the early scenes are about partying. Dissecting this from a craft perspective, I could not pinpoint any of the story beats. It just felt like a first draft of things that could maybe color the story, but the actual plot never took off. If this were not an ARC I would not have finished it.
- The romance of this book is basically non-existent. We spend 60% of this book with Archer in a relationship with a different character. Sixty. Percent. That is way too long. And during that 60%, Archer and Mateo barely talk. We know from the blurb that Archer ends up with Mateo, why are we subjected to another relationship that we know isn’t going to work out? It was such a baffling choice. It kept the romance between the two “leads” from ever actually being something worth investing in.
- Both Archer and Mateo aren’t likeable. Archer is just annoying, and the decisions he makes are just juvenile. But it’s never really played off as being something he needs to work on, which is odd. And Mateo is just really flat. He’s supposed to be grumpy to Archer’s sunshine, but Archer isn’t sunshine and Mateo has nothing else besides being bitter. And his whole past fall from grace is pretty uninspired, for lack of a better description.
- The drama going on in this story. There’s a jokey reference to high school drama and that they’re not in high school or whatever, but the Ben/Beau stuff and the cliques and Caleb, it’s just mind-numbing. I did not enjoy any of it and it, again, just detracted from actually spending time on the romance.
- I don’t care for this title. Partially because I don’t like puns in titles, but also because I think that it promises more than it can fulfill. This has the lightest possible inspiration from Dirty Dancing. I don’t need it to be a 1:1, but nothing besides them being at a summer resort and Mateo being a bit (not even that much) older. I was really hoping for some more grittiness and character explorations that felt more akin to the archetypes of that film.

LONGED FOR:
-More structure and meat to the story.
- More time with the intended romance of the story.
- Less side drama with the side characters that didn’t really add anything.

Will I read the next one? : No

This book is too cute! I mean, man who are professional dancers? GIVE ME MORE PLEASE! I need those! This story is so romantic and fluffy and it made me smile so big my teeth hurt.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Dirty dancing but make it queer (and a lot less steamy)
Couldn’t put this down and read it in a day!!

The characters are all absolute hot messes. This novel was super campy and I a here and delighted with the ridiculousness of some of the charachters.

The book was cute !!! I’ll be honest I was super locked in and didn’t feel like i HAD to keep reading but I think for a cute, little Romcom it was good!! The main positive thing I have to say about this book is that I think it was a unique premise and that’s what drew me to it to begin with. The musical theatre community, I feel like it such untapped potential for book people and this felt like a perfect story for people who like dance/ theatre or are part of it!! Gay love stories are so important in mainstream media. I don’t think the book was groundbreaking or life altering but it was a good little read that I enjoyed and would recommend to a friend!

Thank you Jennifer Moffatt, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this one! It was the perfect read to start Spring with, and made me long for those endless days of summer.

Archer Read is our “Baby” of sorts. Archer left Ohio five months ago to peruse his dream of dancing on Broadway. After 37 rejections, and hearing “you’re too old for this” at the age of 27, Archer is ready to pack up his life and move back with his parents to Ohio. That is until Archer aces a last-shot audition and lands a spot dancing for a musical revue at Shady Queens, an LGBTQ+ resort in the Catskills. At his first rehearsal, Archer spots his teenage crush, Broadway star Mateo Dixon. But what is Mateo doing here at Shady Queens?

Mateo Dixon, who is our “Johnny”, wants a break, and to not be known as “Mateo Dixon…former Broadway star”. Mateo took a job at Shady Queens for a fresh start, a chance to re-invent himself after a scandal cost him his last working Broadway job.

Will Archer be able to make this a career move following his summer at Shady Queens? Will Mateo be able to re-invent himself and come back from this scandal? Buy your copy of “Flirty Dancing” and find out now!

I loved this fun summer romcom that gave me some Dirty Dancing vibes. The characters were thought out and fun. And I'm a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine pairing.

DNF @ 40%

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard with this book but it just fell flat for me. The plot lacked substance, the two main love interests had such little chemistry. The grumpy/sunshine trope is hard to get just right, if the grump is too grumpy, they come across as rude and unlikable and it’s hard to come back from that. The love triangle felt forced and totally unnecessary. Archer seemed to just fall into a relationship with Caleb, and I’m not sure why we needed that. I love romances, especially queer ones, but I could not get into this.